I’ve been thinking a lot about siblings, unconditional love and legacy. When my dad died, now over 5 years ago, it didn’t take long for me to realize I was now part of two new clubs, whether I wanted to join or not. The first was that of children, young and old, who had lost … Continue reading Siblings: when the going gets tough
Memories
2020…really?
Perhaps more than any other year for me, the opening of 2020 feels a bit surreal. Part of it emits a hint of sci-fi, a genre I have sometimes found frightening. That all being said, and ignoring all things environmental and political for the immediate moment, it felt appropriate today to share a few upcoming … Continue reading 2020…really?
About that Husky grudge
It's been a tough week for me in terms of personal, professional and political happenings. I don't know about you, but I'm in the need of a bit of levity. With football season in full force, this post seemed relevant. And while many of us may hold grudges detrimental to ourselves and others, perhaps I'll … Continue reading About that Husky grudge
Yes, I will use the D word
Over the last few years I have found myself avoiding using it. I might say, memory challenge, or memory loss, but not dementia. As I embrace initiatives both at work and in my community to reduce stigma associated with mental illness, I started thinking....what do I fear when I fail to call it what it … Continue reading Yes, I will use the D word
We are all writers
Thank you my new friends! You have made my day! Thank you for your permission to take this photo. I remember the first book I wrote. I was in the first grade and used crayons to illustrate our Airedale and her 11 puppies, stapling the finished pages together. Wilsonville Primary School Librarian, Mrs. Plant, placed … Continue reading We are all writers
On the day you were born
Quality Pie Shop: image thanks to Stumptown Blogger. Usually I'm not a very successful audiobook listener. Often, my mind wanders, and before I know it I'm talking to myself or beginning to compose something on my own, consumed by my thoughts. Yet, sometimes when I have a long, solo car drive, I take advantage of … Continue reading On the day you were born
Take me as I am, not as you want me to be
Mid-life apologies to all cheerleaders and rally teams of my past. I was never one to dream of being on such a team, or involved in such a sport. Maybe it is to blame the 7th grade P.E. teacher at LaGrande Junior High who once said to me, "Your cartwheels are crappy. Maybe stick to … Continue reading Take me as I am, not as you want me to be
Where do memories go
Where do memories go when they leave you? When the you I know, no longer is the you I see. Are souvenirs of life's moments sucked up by vacuum in one fell swoop, to be sprinkled back to where they came from? Or do they float away, disappearing image by image, until it is as … Continue reading Where do memories go
An event at midlife: crisis, challenge, breakthrough, or opportunity?
This blog was originally posted at Women Writers, Women's Books on May 1, 2019. When I was 26 years old, my 54-year-old mom received her doctorate. She had divorced my dad a few years prior, moved from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco, and enrolled in a Ph.D. program that seemed crazy to some of her … Continue reading An event at midlife: crisis, challenge, breakthrough, or opportunity?
Of trees, transformations, and a visitation
Populus tremuloides, Rocky Mountain front by Kodak, 1981 Memories from my past seeped back into me as I pictured Richard Powers' character Nicholas Hoel view photos documenting a chestnut tree's daily transformation over years as if a flip book. I set down The Overstory, and remembered. Back to a brilliant fall forty years ago in … Continue reading Of trees, transformations, and a visitation
